Faith and Fire
by sparkles321
Summary: The Hardys are trapped in a burning building after a mission goes horribly wrong. Joe trusts that Frank can get them out of this, but can he? Will he have to explain to Joe that they may not make it? From my story Just Another Day in the Life of the Hardys. Please review with tips or comments!I It means a lot to me, because I worked really hard on this.


**Author note: This a revised, much more detailed chapter turned one shot from my story Just Another Day in the Life of the Hardys. Check it out! You might also like my other fanfics, Keeping Secrets and The Mother She Never Knew. Please, please review, even if it's just a flame! I worked really hard on this.**

The dark-haired man chuckled, a humorless sound. He grabbed Joe's arm and pulled him to him. "You are a fool, a fool! Did you _really _think you could stop us? " Frank couldn't hear what Joe mumbled in reply, but he was pretty sure it was a sarcastic comment, judging from the slap Joe earned himself. Frank was watching from the doorway, half-hidden in the shadows. The gang had caught Joe and brought him to the leader, but Frank had evaded them. He was sure they'd neglected to tell their boss he was here. He ran his hand through his hair. This whole plot was crazy. A gang had broken into Bayport Shopping Center because of an argument with an employee, taken people hostage and stole whatever they could find. ATAC had sent the Hardys in to stop them, and it wasn't going so well. Joe was tied to a chair, Frank was powerless to help, and the criminals were having a field day. _"Great," _he said to himself. _"Just great. Could things get any worse?"_ Yes. Yes, they could.

The man turned that instant, and Frank instinctively backed away, into... another gang member. _Darn it. _Before he knew it, both Hardys were tied up in a pair of metal folding chairs. The leader of the gang had given them a taunting wave and pulled out a gas can. Frank was surprised, but only for a second. A wave of nausea flooded over him as he realized what this quite obviously insane man intended to do. He looked at the ropes that bound him and breathed in sharply. The man backed out of the room, still pouring gasoline. Far down the hall Frank heard the faint 'woosh' of something being ignited, and a door slamming shut. It suddenly felt uncomfortably warm, and a sickening, crackling sound of burning wood came from the hall.

Joe's eyes were wide wide with sudden realization. "Frank, you don't think..." He interrupted himself. "What am I saying? Let's get out of here!" Frank smiled tersely. "My thoughts exactly." He began shifting so the folding chair he was tied to rested against the wall, in a corner. He had an idea. It wasn't the smartest plan, but he was desperate. He flung the confining chair and himself into the wall repeatedly. Joe stared at him. "Uh, Frank, hitting the chair isn't gonna save us..." Frank looked up, his face sweaty and red. "I - know - that - Joe," he panted. "Just do the same thing to your chair, okay?" Joe was about to question Frank's sanity when he realized Frank had manage to whack the metal chair out of shape, causing the ropes to slacken and enabling him to wiggle free. "O, ye of little faith!" Frank was teasing Joe, but he knew there was a sense of urgency. He didn't want to scare his brother, but... Joe spoke up. "Yeah, sure. Just help me out of these ropes!" The heat was getting closer as Frank untied Joe. "Come on, man!" Rushing out of the room, they could see a wall of flames creeping closer. "Run the other way! Look for a window, an exit door, something!" Frank yelled.

With the flames behind them as an incentive, the boys raced towards a door clearly marked 'Exit'. Frank tried to open it. "It's stuck." "What do you mean, 'it's stuck'? It can't be!" Joe was nearly frantic. Frank pulled Joe closer to him . "Joe. Look at me. It's stuck." Joe looked at Frank. His face was deadly serious. "But..." Joe looked down the hall. Flames were now consuming it as well. He gasped. "We're trapped!" "I know." How could Frank be so unnervingly calm? It was starting to get REALLY hot, and thick, choking smoke flowed into the hall.

"Joe! Cover your nose and mouth, and stay low to the ground. Try not to inhale too much, okay ?" Joe would've argued that he already knew what to do, but he could see it wasn't time for that. But how where they gonna get out of here? Joe looked at his brother. Frank didn't seem inclined for a last ditch escape effort, either. He grabbed Frank's arm, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"That's it? We give up?" As he watched, Frank slumped down beside the door. "No. But, genius, how are we going to get out of here?" "Well," Joe spun around, looking wildly in every direction. "Frank," he exclaimed suddenly, eyes round in the dancing light sent by the fire. "It's getting closer!" Numbly, Frank nodded. He laid his hand on Joe's arm, swallowing hard. His dark blue eyes met Joe's. "Hey, buddy. This is really hard for me to say and everything, but -" he paused, and looked upward, as if pleading for help. "I- I don't think we're getting out of here."

**Well? What do you think? If you want to know what happens next, check out Just Another Day in the Life of The Hardys! **


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